Purpose, perception, and persuasion – the Greatest Hits of Season Eight of the Data Malarkey podcast
In the latest episode of Data Malarkey – the podcast about using data, smarter – Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, introduces the highlights from a cracking season of six, highly-diverse episodes that make up our eighth season so far. Each episode showcases how data – when paired with empathy and curiosity – can shed light on […]
Why PR really needs to embrace Hard Numbers – or risk being seen as irrelevant. With Darryl Sparey
In this latest of episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, speaks with Darryl Sparey, co-founder and MD of Hard Numbers, a consultancy that takes a refreshing approach to marketing communications: putting robust measurement at the heart of everything it does. Darryl launched Hard Numbers during the early months of the pandemic, a […]
Reclaiming our humanity in a digital world: Christine Rosen on “The extinction of experience”
In the episode of the Data Malarkey podcast – live from 6 August 2025 – Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, speaks with Christine Rosen, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and author of the 2025 book The Extinction of Experience: Reclaiming Our Humanity in a Digital World. Christine’s work examines how technology is changing not only what […]
How AI thinks: exploring the parallels and differences between minds and machines with Chris Summerfield
In this thought‑provoking episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, talks with Professor Chris Summerfield – cognitive neuroscientist at Oxford and author of These Strange New Minds – about how modern AI challenges our understanding of human intelligence. The conversation is grounded, intentional, and free from sensationalism – true to the ethos of the podcast. Blurring the […]
Rebuilding trust in science with scientist-turned-journalist, Caitlyn Looby, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
In this plain-talking episode of Data Malarkey – the podcast about using data, smarter – host and Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, speaks with Caitlyn Looby, an expert in science communication about the pressing issue of public trust in science. Through their calm, thoughtful conversation, they explore what is fuelling scepticism and, more importantly, how we […]
Cambridge United’s Mark Bonner on football, data, and how to strike the beautiful balance
In this engaging episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, is joined by Mark Bonner, Director of Football at Cambridge United FC. Together, they discuss the increasingly central role that data plays in football – a world where emotion, tradition, and tribal loyalties often dominate the narrative. From grassroots beginnings to […]
Turning data into desirability: automotive insights with Nick Ratcliffe, VW UK
Recorded live at the DataComms 2025 conference in London, the latest episode of the Data Malarkey podcast welcomes Nick Ratcliffe, Customer Experience Director at Volkswagen Group UK, to explore how data can be used not just for efficiency but to shape customer desirability. Hosted by Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, this opening episode of Season Eight interrogates […]
Using data smarter to counter the scourge of metabolic syndrome – the rise and rise of hepatoSIGHT(TM)
2020s man (not to mention 2020s woman) has a problem. Our bodies – and our genes – are not fit for our current, sedentary, inactive, calorie-dense lifestyles. We’re built to hunt and gather, forage and collect, in conditions that can be feast but are also very often famine. How very unlike the high-fat, high-sugar, ultra-processed […]
The biggest moments in data, humanity, and kindness from Season 7 of the Data Malarkey podcast
The Season 7 finale of The Data Malarkey Podcast, titled “Greatest Hits: AI, Kindness & the Power of Storytelling,” offers a thoughtful reflection on the intersection of technology, empathy, and communication. Hosted by Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, the episode revisits key insights from a diverse group of guests, including ethicists, psychologists, technologists, and storytellers. AI […]
AI as an intern, not a genius – A practical approach to artificial intelligence in the workplace
S7.006. In this latest episode of Data Malarkey – the podcast about using data, smarter – master data storyteller, Sam Knowles, engages with Julie Holmes – entrepreneur, inventor, and AI advisor – on the evolving role of AI in business. Holmes advocates for viewing AI not as an all-knowing genius but as a capable intern, […]